I recently returned from a meeting of our International Board of Directors at our World HQ in Kansas City USA. There together with my colleagues Ernst Honegger, Peter Tage, Rolf Dahlberg and Valeria Magistrelli I hope we were able to represent effectively the views of our European membership on the major issues confronting People to People International at present and in the medium term. These include the growth of the humanitarian aspects of our mission, the need to think in truly international terms as our activity extends in Europe and Asia and begins to develop in the Middle East and Africa, and our increasing engagement with younger people through the growth of student chapters and younger members' groups and the continuing success of the Global Youth Forum.

On my way home I was particularly fortunate to be able to stop in Philadelphia and visit the historic sites of the birth of democracy on the American continent.

The International Board commended the European members on the success of the Worldwide Conference in Italy and the amount and variety of activity reported by European chapters. We hope that European members will take advantage of the programmes offered throughout the world by PTPI, especially those supported by our European office, and will nominate their members for PTPI's awards and elected offices. My colleagues on the Executive Committee and I will look forward to seeing many of you at the exciting annual conference planned for us by our hosts in Tirana in May.

Sincerely,

Peter Whitby, President of PTPI's European Council

PTPI's European Office receives many e-mails and letters. This is from Lenka of PTPI's Sternberk Chapter in Czech Republic.

Dear PTPI,

I am a member of the Šternberk PTPI Chapter, and I work as an English teacher at a grammar school in Letohrad, a small town in the eastern part of the Czech Republic. We have decided to join the School and Classroom Programme, and now the students are happy to have found partner classes in Tidaholm (Sweden) and Alvin (Texas, the USA). They have started exchanging letters, and the teachers are preparing some project to be completed using some of the suggestions from the PTPI manual. We have found this manual really helpful. We are looking forward to learning more about our partners, their countries, traditions, history and their way of life in general.

Many thanks for the actual existence of the Programme, and the fact that it is so easy to follow.

Lenka Kestřánková

All PTPI members are welcome to attend this year's European Conference. Invitations have been sent out to all chapters and members in February via e-mail. Attached to this newsletter, are the invitation and registration forms. The local Organizing Committee in Tirana and the EEC have put a lot of efforts together to create an attractive program.

Meeting of the European Representative Board

All chapter presidents are hereby invited to attend the PTPE Annual Meeting. The meeting will be held on May 14 at Hotel Tirana International.

Extract from PTPE Bylaws:

A regular Annual Meeting of PTPE, open to all members of constituent national organisations and chapters, shall be held at a time and place agreed upon at the previous annual meeting.

PTPE shall have a Board consisting of one Representative (REP) of each chapter in good standing provided that no country or national organisation shall have more than three (3) REPs in total. Each REP must be a dues paying member of PTPE at the time of the nomination or shall become such a member upon election and appointment.

Registrations: All registrations should be sent to PTPI's Tirana Chapter. For the first time there is a special youth rate for the event. This is of course to make sure it is even easier for young members to attend.

Conference Fund: Through the kind support from PTPI World Headquarters, there is a conference fund from which anyone may seek support. Applications are available on the conference Web site and in the European Office.

Optional Programs: All participants may take part in the optional programs after the conference; homestay and excursions. The chapter also assists suggesting individual programs.

Chapter presentations: Attending chapters are encouraged to prepare presentations and bring material for display and/or distribution at the event.

Bring a friend: PTPI European Conference is open to both members and non-members. In fact new members or non-members are encouraged to attend the event in order to learn more about PTPI, our programs and of course all our nice members.

European Conference 2006: At the Conference, the location for the 2006 conference will be decided upon. Chapters are asked to contact the European Executive Committee or the European Office if you would like to host the event. Traditionally the conference is held in May.

Elections of European Executive Committee (EEC): Each member of the EEC is elected for two years and may serve for no more than two consecutive two-year terms. This year there are three EEC positions up for election: Treasurer, PR Officer and Youth Coordinator. The auditors are elected for one year. Nominations may be made to the EEC, the European Office or directly at the European Conference.

YG Meeting: March 18-20 in Zürich

PTPI's YG (Young generation) group in Switzerland has prepared a weekend meeting in Zürich (March 18-20). Attending this weekend are also members from Italy and Germany.

Friday 18th

Arrival

Getting to know each other

Saturday 19th

Visiting Zürich: Sightseeing and stroll through the Old Town, visit to the Zoo (Masoala Rainforest)Dinner: Zürich by night

Sunday 20th

BrunchPTPI Seminar: PTPI Programs, Intercultural Learning, discussion and planning of YG activitiesTime and place for the next meeting

Goodbye- see you again!

London Study Visit: July 3-7

PTPI invites to a four-day study visit in London. Between July 3-7, members and non-members are invited to London. No more than 25 people may participate. Very good accommodations have been arranged and the program will contain study visits, tastes of London entertainment and a chance to meet with members from other PTPI chapters.

Meet the Diplomats – first experience: Chester

In late January, PTPI's Chester Chapter hosted US Diplomat Jeremie Beck. Jeremie had been assigned to London only a few months and took advantage of the PTPI program as he visited the chapter in Chester. For the weekend, he enjoyed meeting with local members and learned more about both Chester, the British and of course PTPI. When attending the chapter's "Silent Auction", Jeremie made a presentation on the diplomatic corps and assignments in the UK.

Mongolia

PTPI's Ulaanbaatar Chapter welcomes members to participate in the PTPI Mongolia Culture Program. Participants will teach English in Ulaanbaatar for 2-3 months and receive room and board.

Italian Teacher seeks class

PTPI's Milano Chapter member Manuela Corti seeks a chance to teach Italian this summer. Anyone, group or individual, who would like to learn Italian and get to know Italian culture may contact PTPI's Milano Chapter or PTPI European Office.

Contact making seminar – Warsaw

Six members will participate on behalf of PTPI in a "contact making seminar" in Warsaw, Poland. The seminar in organized by ZSP – Polish Students' Association. We hope indeed that new contacts will be made and that we will get new program ideas.

2005 Questionnaire and chapter membership payment

All European chapter presidents have received the annual questionnaire and invoices for membership fees. The questionnaire is part of the communication between chapters and PTPI World Headquarters. European chapters pay two Euros per chapter member to PTPI. The presidents are asked to report and pay the dues accordingly. Without response from the chapter, the members are no longer registered within PTPI and will not receive PTPI news or apply for PTPI grants or support.

Presidents' seminar – cancelled

The planned seminar for PTPI chapter presidents (May 10-13 in Tirana) has been cancelled. In spite of a good program, the funding institution told PTPI that the proposal was one of 600. The final decision has not been made, but PTPI's chances to be funded are very slim (also depending on the first selection criteria projects in Caucasus Region). Therefore it has been decided to cancel the seminar and thus also allow members and presidents to register for the European Conference.

Closing chapters: Lucerne and Vöru

PTPI's Lucerne Chapter held its Annual meeting at the end of January. The attending members decided to close the chapter after a few years of declining membership and program activity. Most members will join the neighbouring chapters in Zurich and Interlaken. Also PTPI's Vöru Chapter has had low activity and membership as chapter president Veera Lukusepp reports. She has now joined PTPI's Tallinn Chapter.

Meeting minutes from the 2004 Annual Meeting

All chapter presidents receive with this e-mail the meeting minutes of the 2004 PTPE annual meeting in Baveno. Any member can also get a copy of them by contacting the PTPI European Office.

www.ptpe.org – facelift

The European Web site has been updated. You may view the renewed Web site. As before chapters and members are encouraged to submit material for the section on upcoming events. In a second phase of the update, chapters may introduce themselves on the Web site. Chapters may already now submit material.

Young US member seeks Internship

Jennie Gies is a member of PTPI's Midland Chapter in Michigan, USA. She is very interested in an internship in either Germany or Switzerland. She is in her last semester of university studies with a degree in public policy from James Madison College at Michigan State University. She has had two and half years of German language classes at university. Jennie's family would be willing to reciprocate in hosting. They tell us that they live out in a farming area of Michigan, not a major city in the U.S. But, a nice area of the Michigan state.

Please contact the PTPI Europe Office for more details if you can assist Jennie.

Announcing the 2005 Global Youth Murals Project

PTPI invites students in Europe to participate in our 2005 Global Youth Murals Project. Each year, PTPI invites primary-, middle- and secondary-school students from all countries to create artwork that illustrates their unique cultures and communities, and their interpretation of the themes friendship and "peace through understanding." This project strives to visually promote appreciation and respect for different cultures.

The deadline to submit a mural is October 28, 2005. Murals will be accepted any time prior to this date. Postage assistance to mail murals to PTPI World Headquarters in the United States is available. Please contact us for more details.Two exceptional murals will be chosen to receive certificates of recognition and monetary awards of $50 USD, while two murals will be considered for honorable mention awards of $25 USD. Winning murals will be featured in PTPI's annual magazine entitled, People. All schools that participate will receive certificates of appreciation.

Murals are exhibited at different venues year round, giving area children and adults an opportunity to view these vibrant pieces of artwork and gain a glimpse of life in other countries presented from the viewpoints of their peers.

How to Participate

Teachers or students request guidelines (which include dimensions and other instructions) for the 2005 Global Youth Murals Project. Please send your name and mailing address to Stacey Chance at
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.

And winners of the 2004 Project are...

For the primary/elementary-school level:

School No. 25 in Andijon, Uzbekistan: "The Seeds of Peace"

Honorable mention to Royal Vale School in Montreal, "Pieces of Peace"

For the secondary-school level:

Veerayatan Vidyapeeth School in Gujarat, India: "The World is in Our Hands".

Honorable mention to Gloria Mount Sinai School in Accra, Ghana: "Peace Through Understanding".

Exhibitions

Murals of the 2004 Global Youth Murals Project were displayed in Atlanta, Georgia USA for PTPI's 2004 Global Youth Forum, November 9-14, where they were viewed by more than 200 student attendees and teacher leaders. Twenty exceptional murals - spanning the project from 2002-2004 and including winning murals from the 2004 project - were displayed at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center in Kansas City, Missouri USA in the Children's Gallery through February 28, 2005. These murals were created by primary - and secondary-school students from Canada, Denmark, Egypt, England, Ghana, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, the United States (Alaska, Kansas, Missouri, New York), and Uzbekistan. Additional murals are being exhibited from January 26 through March 31, 2005 at Images Art Gallery in historic Westport in Kansas City, Missouri USA. More venues to be announced.

Bern

PTPI's Bern Chapter held its annual meeting on March 7th. It was attended by 20 members and guests. Instead of the usual cultural visit, a dinner was offered. Ernst Honegger, who served as chapter-president for the last four years, decided to step down but will still remain on the board. Otto Burri, who acted as secretary for the last 12 years, was elected as new president. Otherwise the board remains unchanged with Cornelia Siegenthaler as YG-coordinator, Felix Engler as treasurer, Ulrich Krebs Thun as secretary and Newsletter-editor and Ulrich Krebs, Hinterkappelen as homestay-coordinator. Reports were given about the numerous past and future activities, e.g. for 2005:

Reception and homestays for three USA Student Ambassador groups and a delegation from PTPI Phoenix-Arizona

Cooperation with the sister chapter in Roman and their very active YG's

The newly created Newsletter (can be freely obtained by mail from anyone on request)

Troup tour to Budapest and Tirana (Albania) for the next European Conference May 11th until 17th

Suggestion to attend the international Board of Directors and Trustees meeting in Seoul (Korea) Sept. 21st - 25th

The traditional Swiss Chapter meeting organized next time by the Zurich-Chapter end of August.

A future goal must be to create a new chapter in Western Switzerland, the French speaking part of the country. In the recent chapter newsletter there are several articles on the cooperation with the Sister Chapter Roman in Romania. In summer 2004, twelve members came from Roman and for New Year, Michael Schlatter visited the Roman chapter.

Otto Burri

Chester

The Chapter hosted Jeremie Beck of the US Embassy in London. Jeremie was part of the PTPI's Meet the Diplomats program. On the same weekend the chapter held a silent auction. Some 40 members attended the event, which supports the chapter's music program. On March 4th the chapter held a "USA Spectacular" with young musicians (instrumentalists, singers, bell ringers) playing either as groups or soloists. Over 300 people attended with principle guests being John Boughton (the Sheriff of Chester) and Kimberly Murphy (Assistant Cultural Attaché at the USA Embassy in London). The proceeds were in aid of our music fund. Simon Vlies (violinist) our music scholar for 2004/05 received his air tickets to Lakewood Colorado where he will give recitals, lectures to schools and finally play a concerto with the local symphony orchestra.

Andrew Martin

Zurich

In February, chapter member and Trustee Claudia von Ellerts visited Scotland. During her visit she met with chapter president and members of the former PTPI's Grangemouth Chapter; Sandra and James Reid.

Claudia von Ellerts

Sternberk - Žamboši in Šternberk Gallery

On Friday January 14th the folk-jazz concert of singers Stáňa Brahová and Honza Žamboch alias Žamboši from the town of Vsetín was held in Šternberk Gallery. The concert was organized by PTPI's Šternberk Chapter in cooperation with Šternberk Gallery and it was not only a passive listening of songs, but also a funny and restful evening. The majority of the audience was joining in the folk-songs in a wonderful choir and it was a new inspiration and a lovely surprise for Žamboši. Žamboši, our friends and holders of the Krteček Award from Zahrada 2003, spent one more day in our little town and its surroundings. We took them for a walk through the famous Šternberk´s natural trail – Prabába - and prepared a really traditional homemade meal for them. It was a fantastic event for our members and a very special occasion for our community in the town of Šternberk. We would like to invite you to visit the Czech Republic. We can offer you a homestay in Šternberk or in the very close region. If you are interested in homestay you can contact our homestay coordinator: Marek Kašik – email:
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. (www.kookaburra.wz.cz and www.sweb.cz/PTPI)

Helca Metelkova

Interlaken

I'm happy to share more good news about chapter member Ekaterina Gaidanskaia, whom many of you heard sing in Baveno, at the Worldwide Conference. After her "thank you" concerts in Bönigen this winter, she's had several additional engagements in Italy, and she's been invited by PTPI's Los Angeles Chapter to share her operatic talent there, as well. We've had even more good publicity, reaching 25,000 local readers and netting our chapter several new members. We hope to welcome them, and some additional members from the -sadly- recently disbanded PTPI's Luzern Chapter at our Annual Chapter meeting March 4 at the Schulhotel Regina in Matten, on the hills of Interlaken. We also elected a new treasurer and presented several projects (homestay tours, Tirana, Sydney etc.) After the meeting everyone was invited for dinner in a wonderful antique restaurant built in 1666. Over the holidays, we had a homestay visitor from England who went from the city to the countryside. Two members of our Board have organized a 10 day PTPI excursion around Europe: Germany, Denmark and England, which promises to strengthen bonds, as well. We expect to "keep the ball in play" hosting Student Ambassadors from the states, a group from Arizona and a family from our sister chapter in Bucharest and...who knows? Maybe you? We're ready to welcome you, too.

Ronnie Blakeney

Milano

In spring the chapter will receive two couples from Scottsdale in March and later on in summer two groups: one in May from Park University in Parkville, Missouri (Olga Ganzen leads a group) and one from Scottsdale, Arizona in June. Valeria Magistrelli will lead a group to the US next summer.

Valeria Magistrelli

Berlin

On December 3rd 2004, five founding members of the "Brücke der Freundschaft e.V" association were invited to the German Federal Foreign Office in order to be guided in the Office's premises at Werderscher Markt. The group's visit would have never been reality without Judith Schömbs' initiative. The small group was guided through the premises by Mrs. Fellner, personal advisor of the German-American advisors. Mrs Fellner knew PTPI from her activities in the USA and had also made a homestay visit in the United States. Therefore, she was happy to be in contact with People to People once again. On February 28, the chapter held its Annual Meeting. Twenty people attended – among them two new members. Programs for the coming year were discussed in detail. For their committed work over the past year Judith and Peter Schömbs received the "Membership of the Year Award"!